LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown was formally sentenced Tuesday to five years of probation and six months of community labor after pleading guilty in June to one count of felony assault against Rihanna.
The 20-year-old Brown was warned to stay away from Rihanna for the next five years, with an order in place keeping him at least 100 yards from the "Umbrella" singer, except at industry functions where the minimum distance is 10 yards.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg said she was aware of media reports claiming Brown and Rihanna have been in contact, which resulted in a stiff warning from the judge.
"I am not amused with the chatter that has been on the airwaves and any violation of your probation in this case comes with the potential for state prison," Schnegg warned the R&B star, who was accompanied in court by his mother.
Brown must also complete six months of community labor in Virginia, where he'll spend 1400 hours cleaning grounds, removing graffiti and washing cars. He will also attend a year of domestic violence classes, and pay fines.
A second felony charge of making criminal threats was dropped during Tuesday's sentencing, which Rihanna did not attend.
Brown was arrested after getting into a fight with his then-girlfriend in the early morning hours of Feb. 8. He reached his plea deal just prior to a scheduled preliminary hearing, in which Rihanna had been subpoenaed to take the stand and testify.
Last month, Brown issued his first public apology for the incident, which took place on the eve of the Grammy Awards.
"As I sit here today I can tell you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that it never happens again, and I promise that," he said. "What I did was unacceptable, 100 percent. I can only ask and pray that you forgive me, please. I hope that others learn from my mistakes. I intend to live my life so that I am truly worthy of the term 'role model.' "
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